Sourdough Starter
- Thread starter badseed
- Start date
Mr.Bishie
pickled egg
Of acetone. Looking this morning, there's plenty of bubbles - it hasn't increased in size by 1/3 at all yet, let alone hit the top of the jar. Maybe this weekend. Fingers crossed.
QOTH
Well-Known Member
I cheated with sourdough by getting someone with an established batch to share it with me. It's been living in my fridge for nearly a year now, getting fed periodically.
I've not made any bread for a while, but there's a place near me just opened up that does sourdough pizza so I'm inspired.
Yesterday I drained off the nasty-looking grey liquid, added some new flour and water - it smells very strongly of baking yeast rather than anything rotten or mouldy so I'm guessing it's still OK.
Normally I just make it like you would normal bread but with a much longer rising time - which has worked up to a point. The bread rises, tastes nice, but is dense to the point that it has its own gravitational field. So, yesterday / todays plan is a two-stage affair, making a 'sponge' first and letting that rise and then adding more flour and giving it a knead and a further rise. Then it's going in the fridge for a bit which apparently helps the sourdough flavour.
http://boingboing.net/2015/02/27/simple-sourdough-loaves.html
Just realised I forgot to add any salt. Bollocks.
I've not made any bread for a while, but there's a place near me just opened up that does sourdough pizza so I'm inspired.
Yesterday I drained off the nasty-looking grey liquid, added some new flour and water - it smells very strongly of baking yeast rather than anything rotten or mouldy so I'm guessing it's still OK.
Normally I just make it like you would normal bread but with a much longer rising time - which has worked up to a point. The bread rises, tastes nice, but is dense to the point that it has its own gravitational field. So, yesterday / todays plan is a two-stage affair, making a 'sponge' first and letting that rise and then adding more flour and giving it a knead and a further rise. Then it's going in the fridge for a bit which apparently helps the sourdough flavour.
http://boingboing.net/2015/02/27/simple-sourdough-loaves.html
Just realised I forgot to add any salt. Bollocks.
ringo
Macaroni cheese controller
Tells you on the side of the Allinson bread flour.
Basically it's 50g water and 50ml flour in a container with a lid, leave 24 hours, throw most away and put 50 of each back in. Repeat for about 5 days and it should start getting bubbly with a bit of a smell to it, sometimes it can be a bit acetate or eggy but should eventually smelly more yeasty/beery.
Either way it makes bread miles better than you buy in the shop.
Basically it's 50g water and 50ml flour in a container with a lid, leave 24 hours, throw most away and put 50 of each back in. Repeat for about 5 days and it should start getting bubbly with a bit of a smell to it, sometimes it can be a bit acetate or eggy but should eventually smelly more yeasty/beery.
Either way it makes bread miles better than you buy in the shop.
QOTH
Well-Known Member
Gaaah. Two days work ruined through my lack of communication skills. I prepped the pizzas and left them in the (cold) oven so the cats couldn't get them, then went out. On the way home I sent Mr. Qoth a text - 'check the prawns are defrosted and put the oven on as high as it'll go'. I get home to two pizzas gently solidifying in a slowly heating up oven. With no prawns on them.
They were edible (very, very crunchy though). But nowhere near as good as they should have been.
If you're anywhere near Manchester I'm happy to share some starter - once established it pretty much takes care of itself.
They were edible (very, very crunchy though). But nowhere near as good as they should have been.
If you're anywhere near Manchester I'm happy to share some starter - once established it pretty much takes care of itself.
bimble
floofy
I’ve just been given a starter in a jar and am worried that I’ll kill it is this the right thread for idiotic questions? The sourdough internet is very wanky.
Will it die if I forget to feed it for a day?
i have half a1.5 kg bag of flour and don’t know where or when I’ll be able to buy more. The responsibility and fear of failure is real, good thing I’ve not got any kids.
Will it die if I forget to feed it for a day?
i have half a1.5 kg bag of flour and don’t know where or when I’ll be able to buy more. The responsibility and fear of failure is real, good thing I’ve not got any kids.
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It's not that mysterious - I needed to allow space for the starter to expand after I fed it, and misjudged the amount of space needed... My brother takes it all very seriously and measures everything out, and he doesn't have mishaps like this.
Trust me though: I'm idle and slapdash and don't look after my starter with any level of diligence or competence, and I've only ever had a starter die on me when I've left it too long before feeding it. For best results you should feed it daily regardless of whether you're baking - this means you end up throwing out started on non-baking days (or you could make crumpets with the excess - see this recipe I've been using)
Trust me though: I'm idle and slapdash and don't look after my starter with any level of diligence or competence, and I've only ever had a starter die on me when I've left it too long before feeding it. For best results you should feed it daily regardless of whether you're baking - this means you end up throwing out started on non-baking days (or you could make crumpets with the excess - see this recipe I've been using)
retribution
Jack of Dubs
It won't be helping! I boil the kettle then let it cool down, and use this water for all things sourdough. The process removes a lot of the chlorine.
existentialist
Tired and unemotional
Perfect. Although I started mine with wholewheat (chapati flour, as it happensnoticed yesterday that my new pet comes pre-named so thats good.
View attachment 213207
I found a bag of flour in tescos this morning! The first one I've seen for months.
It says 'strong white' on it. Will the starter be ok on this kind of flour?
), I've been feeding mine strong white for about a week, now, and it's still going great guns.
badseed
Mighty but thin.
Will be fine, I think strong means high protein.noticed yesterday that my new pet comes pre-named so thats good.
View attachment 213207
I found a bag of flour in tescos this morning! The first one I've seen for months.
It says 'strong white' on it. Will the starter be ok on this kind of flour?
it's a lockdown thing innit - doing a decent sourdough regularly requires a time commitment which most people can't be arsed with under normal circumstances.
Yea, I've become a bit obsessed with routine and eat the same banana and peanut butter on toast every morning so thats made it a bit of a thing.
Thanks
My starter still smells like nail varnish though so I know it's not quite right, but I've found good flour that makes a nice loaf everytime.
